COVID-19 update

As of March 20, all Strathcona County in-person services are closed to the public; however phone and email support continue to be available. View the latest facility openings and closures. Strathcona County has taken measures to support Alberta Health’s priority to limit larger social gatherings in our community. Mental health supports available. For more information, visit strathcona.ca/covid19

Petitions

Petitions are a way to express public opinion to Strathcona County Council. They are written requests that are organized and signed by electors within Strathcona County or by owners who would be liable to pay the local improvement tax. Once validated, a petition can be used to request that Council take action on a particular issue. The rules for preparing and filing petitions are set out in sections 219-226 of the Municipal Government Act.

There are three types of petitions used in Strathcona County:

A formal petition for a public vote on a bylaw

An informal petition also known as a statement of position

A local improvement petition

The content supplied on this page is intended to provide general information regarding petitions and is not a replacement for consulting the relevant legislation or obtaining legal advice.

Petition for a public vote on a bylaw

Electors may petition for a new bylaw, or to amend or repeal an existing bylaw. The subject matter of the petition must be within Council’s power.

The following forms are meant to be used as templates and are not a replacement for consulting the legislation or obtaining legal counsel:

Informal petition or statement of position

An informal petition, or statement of position, can be used to express a public opinion to Council. They cannot oblige Council to take action, but they can be a useful tool to indicate a public concern. There are no legislative requirements regarding statements of position, but the guidelines provided in the FAQ below will help ensure that your concern is easily understood by Council and Administration.

Local improvement petition

Local improvement projects are defined in the Municipal Government Act as projects which are beneficial to an area of a municipality and are paid for by an imposed tax to the benefiting area. Owners may petition for or against local improvement projects. The rules for preparing and filing a local improvement petition are set out in section 222-226 and 392 of the Municipal Government Act.

The following forms are meant to be used as templates and are not a replacement or consulting the legislation or obtaining legal counsel:

Petitions for new bylaws can be filed as soon as sufficient signatures have been collected.

Local improvement petitions can be filed as soon as sufficient signatures have been collected.

In the case of a petition against a bylaw or resolution that is required to be publicly advertised under a section of the Municipal Government Act other than Part 8, the petition must be filed within 60 days from the end of the advertisement.

In the case of a petition against proposed bylaws or resolutions required to be advertised under Part 8 of the Municipal Government Act, the petition must be filed within 15 days of the last day the bylaw or resolution is advertised.

Legislative and Legal Services will review the petition and count the valid signatures. Within 45 days of receiving the petition, a report will be made to Council on whether the petition is sufficient or insufficient.

For a public vote on a new bylaw, or a vote against an existing bylaw, a minimum of 10% of the total population of Strathcona County must sign the petition.

For a local improvement, the petition must be signed by two-thirds of the owners who would be liable to pay the local improvement tax and the owners who sign the petition must represent at least half of the value of the assessments for the parcels of land the tax would be imposed on.

Signatures collected outside of the 60 day period before the petition is filed will not be counted

There are no requirements for informal petitions or statements of position.

Petitions for a public vote on a bylaw can only be signed by an elector. An elector is defined as a person who is at least 18 years of age, a Canadian citizen, and a resident of Strathcona County at the time of signing the petition.

There are no restrictions for informal petitions or statements of position.

Local improvement petitions can only be signed by the owner who would be liable to pay the local improvement tax.

For petitions for a public vote on a bylaw, and for local improvement petitions, petitioners must submit the petition, a Statement of Representative, and an Affidavit of Execution of Witness for each signature collected.

A petition could be deemed insufficient if it does not follow the requirements set out in the Municipal Government Act. If the petition is insufficient, Council will be notified but will not be required to take any action.

If more than one page is submitted, please ensure that the entire wording of the statement of position is at the top of each page so that it is clear each person signing is agreeing to the original statement

All petitioners should provide their printed surname and given name, signature, phone number or email address, home address or legal description of the land where they reside, and date of signature

Designate one person as the contact person and provide their name, address or legal description of the land where they reside, telephone number, and email address (refer to the Statement of Representative template)